Buzz on the Philly GLBT Film Festival July 12 - 24, 2007

Buzz on the Philly GLBT Film Festival July 12 - 24, 2007 - Thom Cardwell's TakeGot film? They've got more at the 13th Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (PIGLFF), July 12-24, 2007. Retaining its position in the GLBT film festival circuit, Philly outdoes itself every year by being the nation's third largest film festival of its kind and the largest in the Northeast. In terms of the films being premiered the credit goes in large part this year to programmers Scott Cranin and Kelly Burkhardt.
Last year PIGLFF attracted more than 29,000 film lovers over 14-days screening more than 150 features, documentaries and shorts. This year, festival organizers are granting awards to legendary Hollywood actor Farley Grangerwith a special screening of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope" in 35mm on the big screen at the Prince Music Theater, 7 PM, July 18, receive an Artistic Achievement Award and have a conversation with Philadelphia Inquirer's Carrie Rickey about his impressive career and "tell all" about such celluloid luminaries as Hedy Lamarr, James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Goldwyn, Patricia O'Neal and Luchino Visconti.
Before that, you can actually mix and mingle with Granger himself and his domestic partner of more than 20 years, TV producer Robert Callahan, who also co-authored his autobiography, "Include Me Out," at a benefit reception for the Philadelphia Film Society (PFS),5 to 7 PM, at XIX Café at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue, where the 82-year-old actor will sign copies of the book. Tickets are $35 for PFS members and $50 for the public, all proceeds helping to underwrite the costs of producing the festival.
One of the highlights of the festival will be "A Salute to Barbara Gittings," with a presentation of the first-ever Barbara Gittings Award, named in memory of the mother of GLBT civil rights, who was a longtime community member of the Greater Delaware Valley and a national figure to the movement. Philadelphia Film Society will also donate $1,000 to the Friends of the Barbara Gittings Collection at the Free Library/Independence Branch to ensure the continuation of the GLBT materials, making them current and available to the public.
There will be a special reception at noon, followed by the award announcement, check presentation and free screening of "Gay Pioneers," courtesy of Malcolm Lazin and the Equality Forum, July 14, Black Box, second floor, at the Prince Music Theater.
What's a summer festival without outdoor events?
PIGLFF will sponsor another outdoor screening on the city's riverfront at Penn's Landing in cooperation with Universal Studio's "Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar," 9:15 PM, July 19, complete with a drag queen look-alike-contest, prizes and an after-party. Two classics, "Just One of the Guys," 11:15 PM, July 14, and "Mommie Dearest," 11:15 PM, July 21, will be shown for free outside Jamaican Jerk Hut, on South St. at 14th.
How many films do you want to catch?
There's "Hairspray" and "The Witnesses" on July 19; "Black Beulahs" on July 15; "Bears" on July 18 and 21; "Blueprint" on July 13 and 14; "The Chinese Botanist's Daughters" on July 14 and 15; "Emile Norman: By His Own Design" on July 15; "Four Minutes" on July 16; "Lez Be Friends" on July 15 and 18; and "" on July 14 and 16.
Don't miss the rare opportunity to see so many shorts by GLBT filmmakers from all overthe world--from Germany, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel and, of course, US! This week's shorts are "International Male: Gay Shorts Program," 7:15 PM, July 16, at the Prince Music Theater, and "Kitchen Table Stories: Women of Color Shorts Program," 7:15 PM, at the Arts Bank.For more information, visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=d7z96bcab.0.gccj5bcab.kfttk6bab.1244&ts=S0256&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.phillyfests.com%2F